WHAT IS GENDER PAY GAP?
Birgit: Gender pay gap is the difference in salaries between women and men. Women often get overall less paid for the same positions as men. However, the meaning of the gender pay gap goes much deeper, it is not only related to gender but also to ethnic and educational background, caste, and family history and situation.
Dr. Runa: When a woman is expected to do the same amount of work with the same efficiency but is paid less than a man – is gender pay gap.
Keki: The gender pay gap is the difference between the payments between the genders. It is the elongated form of bias and other injustices done in society.
Sandeep: Gender doesn’t consist of men or women only. People need to add LGBTQ too. Generally, it’s the average difference between total compensation i.e., salaries, bonuses or allowances received. How we value the contributions of men and women in the workforce. Difference between the average earnings of women and men.
Anish: The gender pay gap refers to the difference in average earnings between men and women in the workforce. The gender pay gap can be caused by a variety of factors including discrimination, differences in education and experience, and differences in the types of jobs and industries that men and women tend to work in.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT EXISTS?
Birgit: Going back in history, it was men who provided due to physical advantages. Evolution progressed but the male dominance in decision making stayed to a certain point. Thanks to some brave women and men in history who fought and fight for the same legislation and same conditions, it is still not normal to treat men and women the same way in many companies and organisations. As long as we have to talk about it, it exists. It needs to be normal to treat different gender the same in all companies, organisations, politics, media, and educational institutions. Having said that, there are still a few places in the world where women control most areas of life and are accepted as the main decision maker. It would be interesting to see if there are any differences in such matriarchal societies and lineages.
Dr. Runa: Gender biases are real not a myth. It’s embedded in our society. Some men have to do a harder physically demanding job than women, it may be justified at that time, but even if the job is equal pay still will be less.
Keki: It exists because of how society has discriminated one gender and raised the other. In a patriarchal society, all genders were not treated with equal respect, and women were treated and seen as the second gender. Nothing can change overnight, but awareness is a basic step towards removing the gender gap.
Sandeep: Patriarchy might be one of the reasons. Though society gives high-tune speeches about gender equality, most of our countrymen still hold primary power in all aspects of society. Nowadays things have changed as many organisations, factories or companies have the same policy regarding salaries or allowances for both men and women according to their work performance and post level. Organisations are more conscious of women’s empowerment. The plus point is that there is a different quota for women in government but still LGBTQ people are not given equal preference.
Anish: I think the gender pay gap exists because we are living in a patriarchal society and it exists due to our old thinking. Also in work where physical strength is prioritised rather than skill.
ANY PERSONAL INSTANCES YOU RECALL REGARDING THE GENDER PAY GAP
Birgit: As someone growing up in a much protected, female-dominated environment it was never a topic until I started looking for jobs after my university studies. It was less the pay gap but more the fact that men got the jobs I was interested in, easier. In Nepal, I made the experience and still make that I had to toughen up to be heard, seen and respected. It is a male-dominated society and you have to work harder to achieve the same as men. Nowadays contracts are pretty standardised within an organisation or a company and then it depends on personal negotiation skills and convincing power. I did not make the experience that there is a gender pay gap. I believe it is much more felt if you have a lower educational background, paired with a difficult family situation, or if you have a migrant background.
In my company, everyone gets the same treatment, opportunities and pay, independent of being female or male. I do encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zones and grow and take on responsibilities and show initiative. Everyone has the same opportunities to grow and earn more. Some take it and some do not.
Dr. Runa: I have not experienced this myself but I have seen daily wage labourers working in fields getting less payment than men doing the same work. I have read the entertainment industry talking about the huge pay gap between males and females.
Keki: In my field, too, we are always talking about how there should be equal pay between the genders. Even if two actors begin their journey at the same time, there is a huge payment gap at the end of a movie, even if we put in the same effort and hard work. Male-dominated industries tend to have higher wages than industries and occupations made up mostly of female workers. Whenever I get the opportunity, I always raise awareness on this topic. There is a huge pay gap between the two genders.
Sandeep: I haven’t experienced the pay gap. Although if we look at the ratio regarding gender pay gap in rural areas of Nepal there is a big difference between different genders.
Anish: I don’t have personal instances or memories. But I have learnt that it is a persistent issue that affects women across industries and countries. The gender pay gap is often attributed to various factors such as discrimination, occupational, segregation, and difference in work experience and education.
IN WHICH SECTOR OR OCCUPATION IS IT MOST PROMINENT?
Birgit: Without doing any research, I would say technology, agriculture, education. Looking at the farmers I am working with, the people who make the decisions and lead communication and negotiations are mostly men. At the same time, everyone is very well aware that it is to a big extent the women who do a lot of the actual work in the fields and the gardens.
Dr. Runa: I think it is prevalent almost everywhere across all occupations and industries. If one is in a profession where salary is fixed for the position, then gap may not be seen. For instance, in government positions.
Keki: Basically, it exists in all sectors, with a few exceptions. In my field, too, there is a disparity between the payments.
Sandeep: The gender pay gap is a very talked-about subject in urban areas of Nepal. When we look back a decade ago, there was a huge difference in the pay gap, but the gap has decreased over time and awareness has increased among people. I think when we look at rural areas or labour force occupations, there is still a large gender pay gap.
Anish: Although the gender pay gap is present in practically all industries and professions, the size of the difference may vary depending on the sector and the particular profession. However, research indicates that industries with a male predominance, including banking, technology, and engineering, tend to have the largest gender pay gaps. Women hold a lower proportion of high-paying jobs in finance, such as investment bankers, traders, and portfolio managers. Women are underrepresented in high-paying technical positions like software engineers and data scientists in the technology sector. Women are also less likely to hold higher-paying executive roles in the engineering field.
HOW CAN THIS GAP BE CLOSED, AND WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE?
Birgit: All different levels and stakeholders need to come together: government to create appropriate policies; teachers to create awareness that we are all the same with the same rights, parents and families to educate their kids that we are all the same; media to stop categorising and starting to report in neutral ways.
Dr. Runa: Pay transparency laws can help. The law can prevent paying less to women for the same work. Salary should be fixed according to the position. It can be made mandatory to disclose the salary in job advertisements so that candidates don’t need to negotiate. This still will have the chance of the male counterpart getting more in the name of bonuses and other benefits. A candidate should be paid based on the job position rather than the previous pay scale or gender. We all are responsible, the state makes laws and policies, the people who are in hiring positions, and the civil societies who work for gender equity
Keki: To close this gap, we have to return to the root of the problem in the way we see women. Women should be confident enough to ask for equal rights in payments.
Sandeep: I think changes should be started by self. We society (any companies or organisations) should make sure all gender are being paid fairly and equitably according to their work performance neither by their gender. They should have a clear policy. There should not be any bias.
Anish: It will require a collective effort from governments, organisations, society, and individuals to work towards closing the gender pay gap and achieving gender equality in the workforce.
AT THE CURRENT RATE, THE GENDER PAY GAP WILL REMAIN UNTIL 2059. YOUR THOUGHTS…
Birgit: I believe we are facing bigger new discussions and challenges and the gender pay gap is a side gig – it’s not anymore male/ female. It is binary and much more. A game changer. This means the gender pay gap is taken out of context and needs to be redefined. Hopefully, it will disappear as a topic before 2059.
Dr. Runa: Yes, it will remain. It’s rooted in culture. Job providers will always seek to pay less to women. It won’t go that rapidly. Lots of hard work will be needed to eliminate it.
Keki: I think it’s going to take a longer period of time as it is deeply rooted in our society. We are privileged in comparison to rural areas where discrimination happens between genders, and when we talk about the change, it’s not only about Kathmandu but about Nepal. The disparity between genders can be seen in our society.
Sandeep: I think with awareness, changes may take place and all genders might get paid equally in the future. We need to be super active in voicing our opinions whenever needed so that better changes take place as soon as possible.
Anish: I don’t think it is alright to say women have to wait the next 36 years to get equal pay for what their male peers are paid. Every sector should collectively work to diminish the gender pay gap so women don’t have to face the pay gap.
